Tensile resistance of steel-reinforced anchorages: experimental evaluation

Abstract

One of the current research topics related to composite steel-concrete structures is the connection between steel and concrete members, namely the design of the anchorages. Since the design of steel reinforced anchorages using the available methodologies (namely from the CEB Design Guide,1 CEN/TS 1992-42 and the ACI 318-083) may lead to excessively conservative results, experimental studies were conducted at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Coimbra dealing with cast-in-place headed anchors. The aim of this study is the evaluation of the effect of hanger reinforcement on the behavior of steel headed anchors embedded in concrete subjected to tension loads. A total of forty laboratory tests, divided in two groups, were performed, dealing with non-reinforced concrete, with hanger and usual grid surface reinforcement, and with the variation of the member thickness. Moreover, the influence of the embedment depth and the proximity of the concrete member edges were also considered. Some conclusions from the tests are analyzed and discussed.